- President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed new rules to protect workers from excessive heat in the workplace that, if enacted, would be the first federal heat safety standards.
- Biden’s bill would require employers to train employees and managers on the signs of heatstroke, provide rest breaks, shade and water, among other things.
- Biden said more people have died from extreme heat than from floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined.
President Joe Biden proposed new rules on Tuesday to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning that high temperatures are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States as tens of millions of people across the country are under heat advisories.
If enacted, the bill would protect an estimated 36 million American workers from injuries related to heat exposure at work. It would be the first federal safety standard of its kind. Those affected by excessive heat in the workplace include agricultural workers, delivery personnel, construction workers, landscapers, and indoor workers in warehouses, factories, and kitchens.
With Hurricane Beryl already battering the Caribbean, an ominous sign of a summer ahead, Biden highlighted the proposed rule as one of five steps his Democratic administration is taking to address extreme weather.
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Speaking at the Washington DC Emergency Operations Centre, Biden blasted Republican lawmakers who deny the existence of climate change, saying, “That’s outrageous. That’s really stupid.” Biden pointed to the human and economic costs of climate change, saying the economy lost $90 billion in damage from weather last year.
“More people die from extreme heat than from floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined,” Biden said. “These extreme weather events caused by climate change don’t just affect people’s lives. They cost money. They hurt economies and have significant psychological effects on people.”
The Democratic president, who is seeking reelection on the basis of his work on environmental issues, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency is also finalizing rules to factor in flood risks in federal construction projects.
President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to the Washington, D.C. Emergency Operations Center on July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Additionally, FEMA announced $1 billion in grant funding to help communities deal with natural disasters, and the Environmental Protection Agency released a new report on the impacts of climate change. Finally, Biden said his administration will host a “White House Summit on Extreme Heat” in the coming months.
Despite increasing awareness of the risks that high temperatures pose to human health, extreme heat prevention measures for people who are routinely exposed to heat index temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit have lagged behind.
“The goal of this rule is simple,” a senior White House official told reporters, “to significantly reduce the number of deaths, injuries and illnesses among workers who are exposed to excessive heat while doing their jobs.”
Under the proposed rule, employers would be required to identify heatstroke hazards, develop heatstroke emergency response plans, provide training for employees and supervisors on the signs and symptoms of heatstroke, provide rest breaks, shade and water, and acclimate new employees to heat (building a tolerance to high temperatures).
President Joe Biden speaks at the Washington, D.C. Emergency Operations Center on July 2, 2024, in front of a map of the United States displaying heat data. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
White House officials said penalties for heat-related violations in the workplace would be significantly increased, similar to the penalties imposed on workplaces for violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules.
An estimated 2,300 people will die from heatstroke in the United States in 2023. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a total of 986 workers died from heatstroke across all industrial sectors in the United States between 1992 and 2022, with construction accounting for about 34% of occupational heatstroke deaths. During this time period, 334 construction workers died from heatstroke in the workplace.
As the hottest month of the year begins, millions of Americans will be at increased risk of heatstroke, dangerous dehydration and cardiac stress caused by heat illness.
The Department of Labor has been developing standards for heat protection in the workplace since 2021. Last year, OSHA held a meeting to hear how the proposed measures would affect small businesses.
The AFL-CIO labor federation applauded the measure. “If finalized, these new rules will address some of workers’ most basic health and safety needs,” AFL-CIO President Liz Schuler said.
A firefighter drinks water after a kitchen fire in the heat in Washington state on June 23, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.S. heat safety laws face continuing opposition from industry, including the Chamber of Commerce and other trade groups, and many say they would be difficult to enforce uniformly across a wide range of industries.
Only California, Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington have workplace heat exposure standards. Over the past year, Florida and Texas, led by Republican governors Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, passed bills that ban local governments from mandating heat protection measures for outdoor workers.
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If finalized, the Biden administration’s rules would override state standards and require states with existing heat protection procedures to implement measures at least as strict as the finalized federal rules.
OSHA’s plans were announced as the EPA released a new report on U.S. climate change indicators. The report, last updated in 2016, highlights data showing the continuing and pervasive impacts of climate change in the U.S. This year’s report added workplace heatstroke deaths and marine heatwaves as climate change indicators.
The report includes 57 indicators related to the causes or effects of climate change.
